First Ural Industrial Biennial in Yekaterinburg Questions Art's Role in Capitalism
The inaugural Ural Industrial Biennial took place in Yekaterinburg, Russia, from September 9 to October 10, 2010, focusing on the city’s industrial heritage from the Soviet era and the revitalization of its creative economy. Curated by Ekaterina Degot, David Riff, and Cosmin Costinas, the event explored the relationship between art and economic value, as well as the risks of commodification. It showcased contemporary artworks from global artists alongside historical pieces from Soviet and Eastern European avant-gardes. Among the highlighted works were Joris Ivens's "Song of Heroes" (1932), Tarsila do Amaral's "Os Operarios" (1933), and Hito Steyerl's "In Free Fall" (2010), emphasizing art's reproducibility and local relevance.
Key facts
- First Ural Industrial Biennial held in Yekaterinburg, Russia, Sept 9–Oct 10, 2010
- Curated by Ekaterina Degot, David Riff, and Cosmin Costinas
- Biennial questioned art's role in capitalism and gentrification
- Exhibition juxtaposed contemporary and historical works from Soviet, Eastern European, and Latin American avant-gardes
- Featured Joris Ivens's 'Song of Heroes' (1932), Tarsila do Amaral's 'Os Operarios' (1933)
- Included Deimantas Narkevicius's 'Energy Lithuania' (2001), Hito Steyerl's 'In Free Fall' (2010)
- Christian Jankowski's 'Tableau vivant' (2010) addressed biennial media economy
- Curators showed copies, including Pablo Baen Santos's emailed photo, Zbigniew Libera's catalog pages, and worker-made posters
- Sergueï Bratkov's collection of amateur erotic photos echoed Mapplethorpe and Rodchenko
- Biennial engaged with local industrial context and production challenges
Entities
Artists
- Ekaterina Degot
- David Riff
- Cosmin Costinas
- Joris Ivens
- Tarsila do Amaral
- Deimantas Narkevicius
- Hito Steyerl
- Christian Jankowski
- Pablo Baen Santos
- Zbigniew Libera
- Sergueï Bratkov
- Robert Mapplethorpe
- Alexander Rodchenko
- Elena Yaichnikova
Institutions
- Ural Industrial Biennial
Locations
- Yekaterinburg
- Russia
- Soviet Union
- Eastern Europe
- Latin America
- Netherlands
- Brazil
- Lithuania
- Elektrenai
Sources
- artpress —